ne end and a long bar
at the other. The alleged Serbian soldiers were seated in a cluster on
the right in front of the bar at the far end of the room. Colonel Frank
advanced to them and said, "Brothers, you have had enough to drink, you
are keeping all the attendants from their proper rest; it is time for
you to go home." It was like an electric shock. About a dozen of the
ruffians sprang to their feet hurling every possible Slavonic epithet at
this brave Russian officer who was merely performing a public duty. One
dark-visaged Serb cavalryman drew his sword and tried a lunge at the
colonel across the table, and while the colonel watched this infuriated
aborigine a Serbian officer close behind Frank tore the epaulette from
the colonel's uniform and trampled it underfoot, shouting, "Death to
this officer of the old regime!"

I picked up the epaulette just as the other Serb, sword in one hand and
revolver in the other, edged round the tables to the centre of the room
for his attack upon my liaison officer. I did not think of drawing my
own weapon, and so far it was man to man. Colonel Frank kept his eye
fixed upon his antagonist, and now advanced towards him, ordering him to
put down his arms and leave the room. But the Serb was out for blood and
made a slash at the _polkovnika's_ head, the full force of which he
evaded by ducking, though the sword severed the chin strap and button of
his cap and carved its way through the thick band before it glanced up
off the skull, helped by his right hand, which had been raised to turn
the blow. At the same instant Colonel Frank fired point blank at the
man's face; the bullet entered the open mouth and came out of the cheek,
which merely infuriated the man more. Up to this moment the man had only
used his sword, but now he began to raise his revolver. Before he could
raise it hip high, however, the colonel shot him through the heart.
Though the revolver dropped from his helpless hand, he crouched for one
instant and sprang, clutching at the colonel's face, while four or five
of his fellow Serbs attacked the colonel from behind. The foremost of
these ruffians, a Serbian officer, fired at the back of the colonel's
head and missed, but his second shot struck Colonel Frank on the left
temple at the moment his real assailant had made his death spring, and
down they both went, apparently dead, the Serbian on top. The other
Serbs sprang forward to finish the Russian officer with the usual ug